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April Issue 2003
Pickens County Museum in Pickens, SC, Features Paintings by Dana Taylor & Ken Shotwell and Art Quilts by Susan Sorrell
The Pickens County Cultural Commission is pleased to announce the opening of two very special exhibitions at the Pickens County Museum of Art & History in Pickens, SC. A Marriage Made in Art: Paintings by Dana Taylor & Ken Shotwell and Susan Sorrell's Wild Fiber, a clever collection of Art Quilts, will be on view through May 24, 2003.
Dana Taylor -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken Shotwell
Now living in the beautiful countryside between Central and Six Mile, SC, Dana Taylor and her husband, Ken Shotwell, share a long history of "making art" as part of their life together. Enjoying the benefit of similar interests while retaining their creative individuality is an evident part of their relationship, which remains dedicated and strong. When asked about that relationship, Taylor replied, "Having another artist as a spouse is great! Painting requires large blocks of un-interrupted time, and if you say you are going into the studio for six hours and you won't be out... that's O.K." Both being involved in the full-time making of art does make for a unique marriage. That unique and special quality is even more accented with this collaborative effort exhibition. Shotwell sums up that quality saying, "Occasionally, an art exhibition comes along which offers work by well-known, professional, contemporary artists. Even more rare is such a showing by a husband-and-wife team."
The couple's artworks; proficient, thought provoking and well executed, further communicates a sense of individuality. Taylor is known for her realistic canvases and panels depicting contemplative portraits of individuals experiencing real or potential slices of life. Of these works she states, "The many facets of human emotion have always fascinated me; I paint in the Old Masters' style because it exemplifies that fascination."
Shotwell's paintings follow a unique vein of fantasy he described with, "I paint the surreal; that which cannot be photographed or painted by anyone else, unless that person shares my exact imagination." Included in his world of the fantastic are a series of works coined as "Luminart", which physically change under varied light conditions... at one moment viewed as a scene in daylight and the next transformed into a mystical night. For the artist, finding a spoken or written description of his visual language is summarized with the statement, "Explaining one's art in words is analogous to a poet describing their work using paint!" To better acquaint yourself with his work, Shotwell encourages the inquisitive to visit his website at (www.kenshotwell.com).
Susan Sorrell
Now living in Greenville, SC, Susan R. Sorrell's art quilts are more fabric collages than traditional quilts. She creates "whimsical" designs to amuse her audience, and herself. She says, "If I'm not interested in looking at them, who else would stop to look at my art work." The artist is always looking for interesting beads, threads, fabrics, jewelry and other odds & ends to complement her pieces. It is the bold colors and fabric design that make a Sorrell art quilt. Her ideas come from song lyrics, poetry, artists, household items and imagination. Nothing is too irrelevant to end up as an art quilt. Also, she is currently experimenting with fiber paints, collages and dyes, which has opened up a whole new artistic direction for her to explore and create. When pressed on the witty route her work is currently heading, as opposed to a more conventional interpretation, Sorrell replied, "I just love the way Art Quilts push the boundaries of traditional quilting. Art Quilts manage to combine the contemporary with the traditional in such a playful way."
This will be Sorrell's first one woman show at the Pickens County Museum, although her fans have had opportunity to see her work in past juried exhibitions, the 1998 Art Educators Show, the 1997 & 1999 Celebrity Birdhouse Show & Sale and a multitude of exhibitions, locally as well as nationally.
In addition to this entertaining
exhibition, the Pickens County Museum will also play host to one
of Sorrell's exceptional and exciting Art Quilt Workshops. A talented
art educator, the artist will conduct an all day (9-5) workshop
on Saturday May 3. This "all materials provided" workshop
will be available to a limited number of serious participants
at tuition of $ 75. Please contact the museum for more details
and to reserve your space.
For more information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings,
call the museum at 864/898-5963 or e-mail at (picmus@co.pickens.sc.us).
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